MEMORANDUM 

FROM: Keith Barnett, US EPA 

TO: Portland Cement NESHAP Docket 

SUBJECT: Summary of Responses to Requests for Water Impacts Information. August 5, 

2010. 

DATE: August 5, 2010 

"Matz, Tim" <tmatz@htcnam.com> 

03/03/2009 10:10 AM To 

 Keith Barnett/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, "meg.garakani@holcim.com" 

<meg.garakani@holcim.com>, "Joel.Bolduc@holcim.com" 

<Joel.Bolduc@holcim.com>, "HECTOR.YBANEZ@holcim.com" 

<HECTOR.YBANEZ@holcim.com>, "ngarnett@txi.com" <ngarnett@txi.com> 

 cc 

 Susan Thorneloe/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Michael Laney <mnl@rti.org>, 

"marvin@rti.org" <marvin@rti.org> 

 bcc 

 

 Subject 

 RE: Wet scrubber water treatment 

 

 

 History: 

 This message has been forwarded. 

Keith, 

Lehigh's Mason City plant's wet scrubber is a closed loop water system. 

The scrubber blowdown is sent to a dewatering system where the gypsum is 

recovered, stored and used in the finish mills. The plant still needs to 

purchase gypsum as the scrubber system does not provide enough for 

operations. The water from the dewatering system is then sent directly 

back to the scrubber with no further treatment. No liquid waste stream 

leaves the process. 

Timothy L. Matz 

Corporate Director of Environmental Affairs 

Lehigh Hanson 

8505 Freeport Parkway 

Irving, Texas 75063 

phone: (469) 417-1361 

cell: (610) 554-8942 

fax: (469) 417-1479 

tmatz@htcnam.com 
Hector.Ybanez@holcim.com 

03/02/2009 03:00 PM To 

 Barnett.Keith@epamail.epa.gov 

 cc 

 Joel.Bolduc@holcim.com, marvin@rti.org, meg.garakani@holcim.com, 

"Michael 

Laney" <mnl@rti.org>, ngarnett@txi.com, Thorneloe.Susan@epamail.epa.gov, 

tmatz@htcnam.com, giri.bhavani@holcim.com 

 bcc 

 

 Subject 

 Re: Wet scrubber water treatment 

 

 

 History: 

 This message has been replied to and forwarded. 

Keith 

You are correct; gypsum is recovered from the scrubber by sending the 

material to a dewatering facility where the gypsum is dewatered and stored 

until it is consumed in the finish mill. This is a continuous process. 

The water is returned back to the wet scrubber. 

Additionally, the scrubber is equipped with a storage reservoir. This is 

a 

non-continuous process; however, when the need arises to bled-down the 

reservoir water is consumed by either of the two following methods: (i) 

Water from the reservoir is routed to a storage tank where it is stored 

till it is consumed as process water. This is the case for Portland. 

(ii) 

At Midlothian, the water from the reservoir is routed to a clay-lined pond 

where it is stored until it is consumed as process water. There is no 

discharge from this clay-lined pond. 

 

If you have nay questions please let me know. 

_____________________ 

Hector Ybanez 

Corporate Manager, Environmental 

122 West Carpenter Freeway 

Suite 485 

Irving, Texas 75039 

Phone (214) 524 - 2814 

Cell (972) 268-1139 

Hector.Ybanez@holcim.com 

"Garnett, Nancy" <ngarnett@txi.com> 

03/02/2009 02:28 PM To 

 Keith Barnett/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA 

 cc 

 Susan Thorneloe/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, "Michael Laney" <mnl@rti.org>, 
<marvin@rti.org> 

 bcc 

 

 Subject 

 RE: Wet scrubber water treatment 

 

 

 History: 

 This message has been replied to. 

Keith, 

At TXI Midlothian - the water from the dewatering system is returned to 

the wet scrubber. It is not treated. 

The liquid that is purged from the scrubber system is not treated 

either. It is used to pug the alkali bypass dust or it can be used to 

control dust in the quarry ABD storage area. 

Nancy 

-----Original Message----- 

From: Barnett.Keith@epamail.epa.gov 

[mailto:Barnett.Keith@epamail.epa.gov] 

Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 11:53 AM 

To: meg.garakani@holcim.com; Joel.Bolduc@holcim.com; 

HECTOR.YBANEZ@holcim.com; tmatz@htcnam.com; Garnett, Nancy 

Cc: Thorneloe.Susan@epamail.epa.gov; Michael Laney; marvin@rti.org 

Subject: Wet scrubber water treatment 

To All: 

A question has come up about treatment of water from kilns that use wet 

scrubbers for SO2 control. In our analysis we assume that the scrubber 

blow-down is sent to a dewatering facility where the gypsum is dewatered 

and stored prior to being sent to the finish mill. The water from the 

dewatering step is assumed to be sent back to the wet scrubber. 

Is there some type of water treatment process that takes place after the 

solids are removed from the scrubber blowdown? Or is the water simply 

sent directly back to the scrubber? Is there any liquid waste stream 

that leaves the scrubber process? If so, how is this stream treated and 

where does it go? 

Keith W. Barnett 

USEPA/OAQPS/SPPD/MMG 

Mail Code D243-02 

Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 

919-541-5605